Category Archives: Face

Brazened Honey is a great mask for a detox and for when you want to reawaken tired skin. It contains many ingredients designed to deeply cleanse, improve circulation and brighten the complexion.

This bright mustard coloured mask contains a multitude of Ayurvedic herbs and spices. Ayurvedic medicine is one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems. It was developed more than 3,000 years ago in India and is based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind, body, and spirit. A lot of the treatments are plant based, using herbs and spices.

Fresh Fennel is used for it’s antibacterial properties to cleanse the skin and is also very stimulating, getting the blood flowing to the skin, reawakening the complexion. Anti-inflammatory Ginger and soothing Clove Bud Oil are also effective stimulants.

Turmeric is added for it’s soothing and antioxidant qualities and Parsley, Coriander and Cardamom also feature to help purify the skin.

Other fantastic cleansing ingredients are Kaolin, Sage; Rosemary and Juniperberry Infusion and Fresh Lime Juice. Kaolin, which features in a lot of Lush’s fresh face masks makes up a majority of the base and draws out impurities. The infusion of the three botanicals is not only antiseptic but also help to balance the skin’s sebum production and refreshing Lime Juice brightens and eats away at any excess oils.

Brazened Honey also features Honey and Free-Range Eggs so sadly this product isn’t currently vegan. Honey is not only naturally anti-bacterial, it’s also incredibly moisturising, whilst protein rich Eggs contain lots of vitamin A which helps to maintain healthy skin by regulating sebum production.

I love the feeling of my skin after using this face mask, it feels so smooth and polished due to it containing Ground Almond Shells to give a light exfoliation, but also because of the wonderful purifying ingredients. It really gives me a glow and is perfect for those sluggish mornings! Personally, I’m not a massive fan of the spicy, herbal scent but I can definitely look past if for the great benefits!

Quite literally full of grace, this facial serum is basically a deeply nourishing solid moisturiser with a lot of other benefits and uses! Currently it’s the only one of it’s kind in stores and I truly believe Full Of Grace to be a wonder product.

It’s base is made up of Murumuru and Cupuaçu Butters, both of which are high in oleic acid which is deeply moisturising and conditioning for the skin. Cupuaçu Butter is also an effective antioxidant, meaning it destroys the atoms of any toxins that might occur on your skin due to pollution, cigarette smoke etc.

Another potent antioxidant in this serum bar is Fresh Portobello Mushroom. Again with skin conditioning properties, the mushrooms are packed with vitamins which help defend and protect skin.

Full of Grace is also incredibly soothing because one of the main ingredients is Calamine Powder, which is mainly zinc oxide combined with a dash of iron oxide. Sounds kinda scary for your skin but actually it’s one of the most soothing ingredients around and is totally safe. Chamomile and Rose are also effectively calming and give the serum it’s light floral, herbal smell.

Because of all these beautifully repairing and restorative ingredients, along with the addition of nourishing Almond Oil, Full Of Grace is perfect for those with acne scars and wrinkles as it really helps to promote cell regeneration. I find that even though I don’t particularly suffer with either of these issues, my complexion is brightened and my skin feels so rejuvenated since I started using it.

I personally use Full of Grace every evening as my night cream because of how rich it is. I’m not particularly dry so it can leave me looking a little oily, which is why I’d rather not wear it in the day. A lot of people use theirs as a primer and another excellent use for it is to use it before you apply a face mask. Almond Oil is a great carrier oil which deeply penetrates the skin and therefore pulls the mask deeper into the skin. The massage you give yourself when applying also boosts circulation and gets the skin ready to clear out all the toxins!

MELT WARNING – be careful where you store it! I left mine in a place where it got too warm once and sadly it melted, so I now keep mine in a little pot incase it happens again!

The name of this Fresh Face Mask comes from when BBC presenters Anna Ryder Richardson and Charlie Dimmock came to the Lush factory to create a new product, and BB Seaweed was born.

BB Seaweed is a great mask for everyone as it has a multitude of benefits for all types of skin and is the perfect all rounder.

Don’t be put off by the colour or consistency, it’s grey, feels like wet clay and features little chunks of rose petals and seaweed in it but believe me it’s truly wonderful.

The first ingredient is Lime Tree Flower and Sweet Violet Leaf Decoction, these plants are mucilaginous, which makes them soothing when applied topically. BB Seaweed contains lots of other soothing ingredients such as Rosemary Oil, toning Rose Absolute, revitalising, mineral rich Toothed Wrack Seaweed and Seaweed Absolute and Aloe Vera Gel, all helping to calm down any redness or inflammation.

Cleansing clay based Kaolin works with antiseptic Honey to deeply cleanse the face, drawing out any impurities. It also contains mild exfoliants in the form of both Ground Almonds and Millet Flakes, helping to gently buff away dead skin cells.

Honey also helps to moisturise and protect the skin along with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

For those looking for a good mask to tone and tighten then this might be a good one to go for. Rosemary, Patchouli, Violet Leaf and Rose are all astringent, helping the pores to contract.

Whenever I use BB Seaweed my face feels remarkably softer, it’s my go to when simply, I just want my skin to feel extra nice. It isn’t drying whatsoever, nor does it add to any excess oils, in fact Bentone Gel and Rose should help to balance out any excess sebum issues. Perfect for those with ‘combination’ skin.

On the face, it is instantly soothing, especially when it’s taken straight from the fridge which is where it needs to be kept due to the completely fresh ingredients. It’s not particularly scented but it gets a natural scent from the earthy and herbal components.

I could go on and on talking about the benefits of this wonderful mask but you should definitely find out for yourself over on the Lush UK website here.

This little cleanser debuted in the UK at the 2018 Creative Showcase where they also debuted many other cleansing balms like it. It then become available as part of the next month’s Lush Labs release where I quickly snapped one up.

A Jade Roller is a centuries old Chinese skincare tool which is made out of solid jade stone and shaped like a paint roller. The roller is said to help eliminate puffiness as it massages the lymphatic system and the cool and smooth surface helps to reduce muscular aches and redness with the right amount of pressure by improving circulation.

In their version, Lush have created a naked cleanser that tries to mimic the same outcome as when using the real thing.

The product is embedded with Mung Beans on one side to give a gentle massage as you apply it. To use you simply rub the product over your face and then massage in the remaining residue left afterwards. Whilst it does feel nice with the beans, I found that the product sadly melts too quickly with the skin’s temperature preventing you from using it for long enough each time to really feel the massage.

The product is mainly Murumuru and Shea Butters, and something called Marula Oil which is renowned for it’s elasticity boosting effects on the skin. Also in there we have astringent Hazelnut Oil and nourishing Rice Bran Wax making up the soft, luxurious base.

Once the product is applied you then wipe it off with a damp face cloth. As you wipe, the water reacts with antibacterial, soothing Chamomile Vinegar and calming Rose Water, entering a toning phase which tightens pores and soothes red and flushed skin, meaning Jade Roller is actually a lovely two in one product! The toning effects are also boosted by Geranium and Eucalyptus Oils.

As an actual cleanser, I do think this product is quite effective, because it’s mainly oil based it’s really good for taking off basic make up and removing any excess grime. The pepperminty herbal smell is also really great to help wake you up on a dreary morning.

So far, I’ve not seen much of a massive difference in terms of my complexion, perhaps my eyes aren’t as puffy but I couldn’t say if this was due to me using Jade Roller or not. Although I do think this product would be a lot more effective if its base wasn’t so quick to melt on the skin, I would probably purchase it again, and I’m hoping that the range of cleansing balms become available in the future as I think they are great new skincare products for Lush.

Aqua Marina is one of Lush’s fresh cleansers. This creamy product is full of fresh ingredients straight from the sea and is designed to calm sensitive and irritated skin.

Unlike the other Fresh Cleansers on offer, Aqua Marina has a very different consistency, it’s more creamy and has the texture of a soft clay, however you do use it in the same way as the others, by taking a pinch and adding water until you get a paste.

With a base of Glycerine, Kaolin and Calamine Powder, Aqua Marina is really cleansing, but in a gentle way. Kaolin is perfect for absorbing excess oils and sebum on the skin and helps give the product it’s texture. As well as being an effective cleanser, Calamine is also excellently absorbent and is one of the best ingredients for soothing irritated, red and delicate skin.

As you can see, Aqua Marina literally has whole chunks of seaweed in it. Seaweed is a fantastic mineral-rich ingredient with many different uses. It’s not only calming for any inflammation and redness, but is also great at nourishing and softening the skin. Lush use two types of seaweed in this product, Irish Moss (in gel and powdered form) and Nori. Similar to seaweed, added Aloe Vera also soothes, softens and moisturises.

Although it’s relatively undetectable, Aqua Marina does have Fine Sea Salt mixed in to it, creating a really gentle and small exfoliant. Because of this be weary when putting it on freshly shaved faces or legs because it can sting!

This fresh cleanser has a very ‘oceanic’ scent shall we say, due to the seaweed and calamine content. Although Orange and Patchouli seem to be added to combat the slightly fishy smell, they don’t seem to do much work. Luckily, both these essential oils aren’t totally useless, they also add to the antiseptic and toning qualities of this cleanser.

I think Aqua Marina is one of the best products to use if you’re dealing with red, puffy, itchy skin, or any irritation or rashes just because it’s so effective at calming the skin down and has benefits for both oily and dry skin types. Personally I find Aqua Marina to be greatly mattefying but can be a tad drying, so be sure to use a good moisturiser afterwards if you’re someone with dryer skin. I use some whenever I get rashes due to the change in weather/temperature and it works like a charm!

Mask of Magnaminty is one of Lush’s best sellers. It’s a minty, multi purpose mask that has been around for a long while and people come back for it time and time again.

Mask of Magnaminty is a mask that you can use all over your body and not just your face. Now I don’t see why you couldn’t use all masks over your body too, but this one is specifically made for both.

Like all face (and body) masks you apply Mask of Magnaminty to the desired area and leave on for ten to fifteen minutes, before washing off with warm water.

Mineral-rich Bentone Gel and Kaolin form the mask’s base. Both of these clay based ingredients are great at absorbing any excess oils and sebum on the skin, however this doesn’t mean that Mask of Mag is drying. The addition of lots of antibacterial honey makes this mask rather hydrating as well.

Ground Aduki Beans and Evening Primrose Seeds make up the mask’s effective exfoliant. It’s great for polishing the skin and clearing dead skin cells when removing the mask, but because it’s such a gentle scrub, it’s perfect for anyone troubling with irritation after a stronger exfoliation.

The minty scent comes from Peppermint Oil, which has been added to stimulate blood cells under the surface of the skin, leaving your skin looking healthier and refreshed. It also gives Mask of Mag a lovely cooling, tingling feeling when it’s on.

This product also contains Chlorophyllin, which helps balance the skin’s sebum production and is what gives Mask of Magnaminty it’s fresh green colour.

I agree with the many who love Mask of Magnaminty. It’s so refreshing for my skin and it feels a lot more rejuvenated afterwards. I use it whenever I get breakouts, especially on my chest because of the great spot fighting qualities it has!

Lush also make this product in a self preserving variety, which means it helps keep itself clean and fresh without the help of synthetic preservatives.

The original formula contains something called Methylparaben, which is a safe synthetic preservative. The use of parabens have been very controversial in recent years because of a 2004 study which found traces of parabens in breast cancer tumours. This formed the basis of a theory that parabens, which can weakly mimic the hormone oestrogen, can disrupt hormones and increase the risk of breast cancer. However, further studies have found no evidence to support this. In spite of believing them to be safe, Lush use a much less quantity than what the EU regulations even permits. Read a fantastic article about all this here.

Nonetheless, Lush created a self preserving version of Mask of Magnaminty to ensure customers happiness and for those still unsure on their stance.

In this version, more Honey has been added to act as the preservative because it’s naturally antibacterial. The extra honey in this formula gives the mask a more luxurious, thicker texture than its preserved counterpart – meaning it does not dry on your skin in the same way as the preserved version. Though really, it’s all down to personal preference.

With Tibetan origins, a Shangri-La is described as a paradise of complete bliss, delight and peace, especially one seen as an escape from ordinary life. This moisturiser definitely takes your skin to it’s happy place for a wholly rejuvenating experience.

I first started using Skin’s Shangri La when I was looking for a night cream and it was excellent in that role. It’s a really rich moisturiser that’s perfect for someone with dry skin, mature skin, or skin that’s in need of some extra TLC.

The main ingredient is an odd one. It’s something called ‘Queen of Hungary Water’, which is a distilled product made up of rosemary and alcohol and is what ended up as the basis for the world’s first alcohol based perfume. The legend goes that this ‘tonic’ was made for Queen Elisabeth of Hungary (1305-1380), but there are some conflicting facts and legends about the exact date of invention, and even conflicts about whom the potion was originally made for.

For a youthful appearance, one was supposed to drink the tonic, rub it on the skin, inhale it and bathe in it. Rosemary is rich with antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties whilst vodka is astringent and toning, minimising the appearance of pores. Lush included this interesting ingredient because this moisturiser is a step towards a healthy and youthful appearance.

Skin’s Shangri La is full of many antioxidants. Antioxidants are perfect for mature or damaged skin as they do a lot for the health and appearance of the skin, including reducing the signs of ageing. Fresh Wheatgrass is rich in nourishing vitamins and protein, great for promoting cell regeneration; Wheatgerm Oil to plump the skin and Almond Oil is another vitamin rich ingredient that is also incredibly hydrating .

We also have a great deal of moisturising ingredients such as the Almond Oil; conditioning Jojoba Oil, which is easily absorbed by the skin; highly nutritious Toothed Wrack Seaweed, which helps the skin to retain moisture; protective Beeswax and deeply conditioning Cocoa Butter and Coconut Oil.

Because it’s an incredibly rich cream, I’d personally prefer to use it in the evenings to rejuvenate my skin over night. Though dryer and mature skins could get away with using it as part of their morning routines. It’s also a great moisturiser to use during the Winter as it’s great for protecting the skin against the bitter cold!

After using, I not only feel intensely hydrated but incredibly soothed as well. Skin’s Shangri La also features Aloe Vera Gel and Evening Primrose Oils to help calm any irritation or redness.

This is one of Lush’s more scented moisturisers so for someone who dislikes too much of a smell for their face then perhaps this isn’t for you. Though saying that, it is a lovely scent of nutty vanillary goodness.

For more information on all of the beneficial ingredients Skin’s Shangri La boasts, check it out on the Lush UK website here!